Noise

by Tony Kilcollins
Summer 2001

PenguinRadio Partners with Live365
Live365, broadcaster of streaming MP3 content on the Internet, has partnered with PenguinRadio to offer Live365 stations through the PenguinRadio interface.
Under the agreement, all of Live365's 29,000-plus stations will be accessible on multiple devices via PenguinRadio.
PenguinRadio has developed a stand-alone Internet radio appliance powered by the PenguinRadio database. It allows streaming media feeds directly to a home stereo system. Technology is also in place for the delivery of Internet radio to mobile phones.
"We are pleased to work with one of the innovators in Internet radio delivery, which will help move Internet listening off the desktop," said John Jeffrey, executive vice president of Live365.
PenguinRadio CEO Andrew Leyden said, "Our goal has always been to deliver any Internet radio station in the world to anyplace on Earth through a variety of network devices. PenguinRadio and Live365 are fundamentally reshaping the distribution of radio and audio content, and we are pleased to partner with Live365's vast library of personal Internet radio stations."

Hollywood Showdown Goes Interactive
The Game Show Network's original game show, Hollywood Showdown, recently launched an interactive component.
Developed by Mixed Signals Technologies, interactive Hollywood Showdown allows fans with WebTV Plus and Liberate-enabled set-top boxes to play along with the show.
Home players are now able to compete alongside Hollywood Showdown contestants in real time during the show. Using directional arrows on their interactive remotes or keyboards to register their answers, home players score points by answering the same questions as the in-studio contestants.
Hollywood Showdown airs weekdays at 8:30 p.m. EST.

SONICblue to Acquire ReplayTV
In an effort to expand its digital media product line to include digital video, SONICblue Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire ReplayTV.
SONICblue is the maker of the Rio digital audio device, Diamond Mako personal digital assistant and HomeFree home networking solutions.
SONICblue CEO and Chairman Ken Potashner said that with the addition of ReplayTV, SONICblue is ready to take the lead in networked home entertainment. The company also plans to partner with leading content distributors to provide consumers with the best overall digital experience, he said.
"ReplayTV's cutting-edge product line and strong presence in the personal TV space is a natural fit for SONICblue's vision for tomorrow's digital home," said ReplayTV CEO Anthony Wood. "We believe that integrating our two companies' technologies will allow us to deliver the next generation of digital entertainment products to consumers."

TeleCruz Links with EarthLink
TeleCruz Technology Inc. announced an agreement with EarthLink to integrate its Internet providing services into TeleCruz-enabled interactive TV sets.
Through EarthLink, the TeleCruz-enabled televisions will offer access to interactive services such as e-mail, chat and Internet browsing and shopping. Panasonic expects to supply the first interactive televisions offering EarthLink Internet service during the second half of 2001.
"EarthLink has a worldwide base of 7.4 million subscribers," TeleCruz CEO Kris Narayan said. "This agreement opens a new customer channel for EarthLink and allows TeleCruz to bring its message of easy and affordable interactivity to a growing global market."
TeleCruz-enabled televisions will allow consumers to connect to the Internet without a computer or set-top box by way of an embedded modem and interactive software contained in the television itself.

Coalition Says No to Encrypting Free TV
The Home Recording Rights Coalition (HRRC) said that encrypting terrestrial broadcast television programming would threaten established home recording rights.
The group made its comments in a letter sent to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell. The comments came in response to a letter sent to Powell from members of Congress expressing concerns that television programming producers may provide content only to channels with strong copy protections.
"If broadly applied," HRRC Chairman Gary Shapiro wrote, "such a doctrine would contravene and nullify public policy as to the reasonable and customary practices of consumers, as formulated by the Congress as recently as 1998."
Shapiro added that encrypting free, over-the-air television, along with any other proposals that would diminish consumers' fair use rights, would create little incentive for consumers make the transition to digital television.
Established in 1981, the HRRC is a coalition representing consumers, retailers and manufacturers of audio and visual recording products and is dedicated to keeping these products free of unreasonable government imposed restraints on their distribution or operation.

FOX Viewers Show Strong Interest in Interactive TV
According to new research from TechTrends Inc., frequent viewers of the FOX network are more interested in interactive and enhanced TV services than ABC, NBC and CBS viewers.
Research data revealed that compared to frequent viewers of ABC, NBC and CBS, FOX audiences were willing to pay higher monthly fees for interactive TV services.
TechTrends also concluded that FOX viewers access the Internet on their PCs and simultaneously watch TV more than viewers of the "big three" networks.

Get Ready for Rock 'n' Roll
XM Satellite Radio successfully launched XM Rock, the first of two high-powered commercial satellites it will use to broadcast up to 100 channels of digital radio programming nationwide. A second satellite, XM Roll, is scheduled for a May 2001 launch.
XM Satellite Radio is planning to go "on the air" sometime this summer. For $9.95 per month, subscribers will receive the XM signal in their cars and homes using small car-phone-sized antennas and radios capable of receiving the XM broadcasts.
The radios will be manufactured by leading consumer electronic companies and are should be available in retail stores or as new car options.
XM's programming will feature a variety of music formats, news, talk, sports, entertainment and children's programming 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
For the latest information on XM Radio programming and launch date, check out their Web site at www.xmradio.com.

Amazon.com Offers Free Music Downloads
A new section of the Amazon.com Web site is devoted to free music downloads. Through thousands of free MP3 and Liquid Audio downloads, it is designed to help fans discover the music of major-label and independent artists.
The site also allows artists free distribution by uploading their music.
Free players can be downloaded for those without an MP3 or Liquid Audio player.
Users of the site can also sign up for a monthly e-mail highlighting the latest free music downloads.

Panasonic Satellites to get Smart with Wink
Wink Communications Inc. and Panasonic announced that Wink's enhanced television technology will be integrated into Panasonic brand DIRECTV digital satellite receivers and should be available late this year. Wink Enhanced TV, available now to DIRECTV subscribers as DIRECTV Interactive, gives viewers the ability to interact with programs and advertisements as they watch television. By using their remotes during an enhanced program or advertisement, viewers are able to access program-related information such as weather, sports updates, trivia and play-along games.